Pelicans' Zion Williamson Unlikely to Return from Injury Before NBA All-Star Break

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters star Zion Williamson likely will not return to the court until after the All-Star Game.

The two-time All-Star has been out of action since Jan. 2 after suffering a right hamstring strain.

At the time of the injury, the Pelicans said Williamson would be evaluated again in three weeks. Once that time arrived, the team said he was "making good progress with his recovery" but added he'd be out for at least another two weeks.

The 22-year-old has played excellently when healthy this season. Through 29 appearances, he's averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

When Williamson went down, New Orleans was 23-14 and third in the Western Conference. As you'd expect, it has ceded some ground since then. The Pels are ninth in the West at 28-27.

The team successfully navigated its way to the 2022 playoffs despite missing the Duke product for the entire year. Simply getting back to the postseason isn't enough this time around, though.

Williamson is critical toward the Pelicans achieving their aims. He can't return to the floor soon enough.